Jeremy Bentham

Subjective relativism is the moral perspective implying that if an individual approves of an action, it is then directed to be moral. For example, an individual can say “X is right,” and someone else can assert that “X is wrong”. When applying subjective relativism to the situation, it justifies that action X is both right and wrong. Suggesting that it can be right for a particular person but wrong for another. Thus, when deciphering whether something is moral or not, it is correlated to…

Legalization of Medical Marijuana and the Doctrine of Utilitarianism Introduction Utilitarianism is one of the moral theories that is best known and influential. According to this theory, the moral worth of an action is mainly determined its contribution towards utility that enhances happiness and pleasure. It is mainly concerned with the pleasure that people get through the moral actions taken. The focus is on the greatest number of people. In the pursuit of this theory, then legalization of…

In ‘Personal Identity’, Derek Parfit presented the idea that being destroyed and replicated is just as good as ordinary survival. This essay will focus on Parfit’s argument of the Branch Line Case and will examine why personal identity matters, a critical perspective and will discuss an objection and respond to the empty question. Parfit argued that being replicated then destroyed resulted in the same outcome as ordinary survival. From the analogy of the Branch Line case, a human body was…

“The creed which accepts as the foundations of morals, Utility, or the Greatest-Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure.” This quote, by John Stuart Mill, about Utilitarianism embodies my ethical decision making process in a way that Relativism, Deontology or any other…

Analysis of Philosophical Traditions and Theories The word teleology is actually from the Greek word telos, which means by “purpose” or “goal” and logos, which are mean by “science” or “study”. Teleological ethics is referring to morality in the result or consequences of our behavior but not the behavior itself when we make any decisions or doing any things. From the perspective of teleological ethics, there is no right or wrong in human behavior itself but what deciding whether the actions or…

When asking if the happiness of an individual should rate higher than the welfare of the general state of society, I strongly disagree. Many people make the most of their lives by having the knowledge to understand what matters in life. On the other hand there are also an abundance of people who do not have the knowledge to know what matters in life. The definition of happiness is, “Happiness is thought of as the good life, freedom from suffering, flourishing, well-being, joy, prosperity, and…

In the essay I am writing today I will be comparing utilitarianism; also called consequentialism, and Kantian ethical theories. The attitude towards what is right or wrong is what constitutes the basic difference between the two theories. Utilitarianism says an act is justified if the end result is happiness for all. The Kantian theory states that end does not justify means, and whatever we do inside our obligations is morally good. The dilemma I used for this essay was under the Paradigm #4…

Utilitarianism, on the other hand, states that actions are morally right or wrong depending on their consequences (Matti, 1994). Mill said: “Actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness”. Ideally, if gene editing follows the rules of utilitarianism, it should be a technique that leads to the greatest happiness for the greatest amount of people (Matti 1994). The happiness such as: couples will no longer have to anxious about the possible genetic diseases. This positive motive…

In the article, Why Smiles Generate Leniency, researchers Marianne LaFrance and Marvin A. Hecht, explore the smile-leniency effect. Their first objective is to see if different types of smiles affect the degree of leniency that is shown. The researchers define the smile leniency effect as the phenomena when "smiling can attenuate judgments of possible wrongdoing." They present some background research by Forgas supporting this effect which found that teachers were more lenient with students who…

Universal Moral Rightness Amongst philosophers there is much debate over what makes an act right or wrong and whether or not that act has to be inherently wrong or is circumstantial. For an act to be right, must it be possible to will that everyone acts the same way in similar circumstances? According to Immanuel Kant, an 18th century Prussian philosopher, as well as many other deontological philosophers: yes. However, this moral interpretation can manifest conflicts and discrepancies of duty.…